Did the smalleye hammerhead ever inhabit the Mediterranean Sea? A reappraisal of the only Italian record of Sphyrna tudes (Valenciennes, 1822)

Three species of Sphyrna (S. lewini, S. mokarran and zygaena) are known to inhabit the present-day Mediterranean Sea, whereas uncertainties exist about presence tudes in same basin. Indeed, this typically westernAtlantic shark Sea is supported by as few two historical specimens that were captured at Nice (southeastern France) Leghorn (northern Tyrrhenian coast central Italy). Here, we provide a redescription an updated taxonomic identification specimen smalleye hammerhead, which currently kept zoological collection Natural History Museum University Pisa believed some authors represent misidentified representative lewini. Based on first-hand observations, confirm belonging tudes. Considering ontogenetically young nature both tudes, parturition hypothesised, turn may evoke occurrence population hammerheads inhabiting basin least recently early 19th century.